Astrophysicists have illuminated the origins of some of the most extreme objects in the universe with a simulation that traced their evolution over the course of several billion years.

A newly discovered planet that resembles a younger, hotter Jupiter orbits a star a lot like our Sun. Direct measurements of the new planet's atmosphere could help us understand how planetary systems form.

The very enzymes that make cancers dangerous could instead guide their destruction. Anti-cancer drugs travel safely through the bloodstream protected by a coating that secretions from cancer cells can slice open.

The Visible Molecular Cell Consortium will assemble and simulate a virtual model of a cell, down to an atomic level of detail. It's a "big data" challenge, applied to the uncharted territory of cellular architecture and ecology.

Patrick Sanan, who studied mathematics at UC San Diego, explains how he used the tiger model from the motion picture, "Life of Pi," to advance his work in geometry. (Video)